Help--I am new at this

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I am only 2 weeks into being the nurse at a middle school-----and I cannot believe how many parents change numbers and don't let the school know......

What do other nurses do? Not quite trusting these kids to give me a phone number----but if I need to call them to tell them about an injury or pick their child up----it is a dilemma-------how do other nurses handle it?

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Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..

where i work, i'm lucky if there are any good contact numbers! a lot of the time, i get the "disconnected" message. i know your frustration is what i'm trying to say. anyway, because you work with older kids, ask them for the number. if they don't know it, try every number you have on the card...friends, neighbors, tia, tio, etc. if that doesn't work, ask if they have another sib in the district. if they do, call the nurse at the other school and see if she has other numbers or if the sib is high school maybe the nurse can pull that kiddo in and get the number from them. this is one of those cases where you really have to think "outside the box".

hope this helps.

sara

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Specializes in LTC.

You are not alone ! Some parents put every number on the emergency card except their own, it can be fustrating. I do as the above poster do and I most of my elementary school kids have cell phones so I'll allow them to find mom or dads number on their cell phones.

Our secretary make sure she tells the parents that if they don't put down a working number and there is an emergency then 911 will be called. That seemed to help a little bit.

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THANKS FOR THE INPUT-----IT IS FRUSTRATING-----PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS INVOLVED IN BEING A NURSE IN A SCHOOL!!!THANKS FOR THE REPLIES!!!!!:redbeathe

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We have a school resourse officer, a local police officer, who we send to the house to knock on the door. Having a police car pull up in front of a house to tell a parent their child is sick and the school has no working numbers...that usually gets their attention.

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Specializes in Renal, Orthopedic, and School.

If you are going to continue in this postion - great! But you only have about a couple weeks left of school. BE THINKING AHEAD!!! Come up with some kind of questionnaire "In the event that a parent needs to be contacted by the nurse...get other emergency numbers of people that have permission to check out..." Do not start the new school year this way! Send home notices now that numbers will be updated next year. Go to ANY class orientation when School begins again. Tell the parents again! Then when school starts send out the notices with two weeks to return them. I work in a 7 - 12 th grade school. High Schoolers do not want anyone having their parents numbers, but when the parents understand that it is for the nurse I get a good response.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Check with your teachers also, sometimes parents give them a new number and no one thinks to update the office. My principal will also send someone to the house to knock on the door. If all else fails I keep them in my office and send them home with a note and a brand new emergency card for the parent to complete with new numbers! I have only had to do this once or twice for low grade fevers and minor things like that. Knock on wood it has never happened in a serious illness/injury or emergency. If that was the case I would probably call for an ambulance if the kid is sick enough.

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Specializes in Community Health,Pediatric, School nursi.

I work in a middle school too-It seems sending anything home with the kids gets 'lost'-everyone has had great suggestions (lots of experience out there!). In my 14 years of school nursing, I think I have used all of them. The best one is to make sure there is a Health Update form that is sent out in the summer with the packet that your school sends out with all their other forms. On this form, along with health info, should be parents numbers (home, work, cell) along with emergency numbers. I also use this form to have parents give permission for certain OTC meds (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Tums). Some kids do not bring it back-but when they come to me for Tylenol (and they will!), I will not give it to them unless I have written permission (and phone #'s) from parents. It sometimes involves sending another form home, but because the student/parent want Tylenol given-it usually comes back with the info. Good luck and Hang In there. Do you have a nurse in your district that can you can call for advice or are you on your own?

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